WAR EAGLE -- Water topped 6 feet inside the War Eagle Mill on Monday as the creek rose and coursed through the building.
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The receding water left branches and debris in its wake Tuesday morning, including a layer of silt that covered the floor of the mill.
War Eagle Mill history
Built in 1832 by Sylvanus and Catherine Blackburn
Flood of 1848 pushed mill into the river
Rebuilt mill included a saw mill
Mill burned by Confederate soldiers in 1862
Mill rebuilt a third time in 1873
Fire destroyed mill in 1924
Jewel and Leta Caywood rebuilt mill in 1973
Marty and Elise Roenigk purchased mill in 2004
Source: www.wareaglemill.co…
"It looks like we could plant flowers in some areas," said Sandy Wright, a consultant for the mill.
Flooding by War Eagle Creek is not new to the mill, but the height the water reached after the weekend storm is unusual, she said.
The original mill, built in 1832, was washed away by a flood in 1848. More recent floods have filled the first floor, reaching nearly 4 feet in March 2008 and 3 feet in April 2011.
Wright said the 2008 flood was a wake-up call, and mill personnel created an emergency plan that involved moving products and electronics to the second floor. Much of the mill's machinery can be elevated so it doesn't get wet.
"You live with the water, you respect the water, then you get back to normal," she said.
The extent of the damage should be minimal, Wright said, adding that it will be another day or two before they can do a full inventory. She was able to get inside the mill for about 30 minutes Tuesday morning for a quick assessment, but employees must wait for Carroll Electric and Anderson Electrical & Plumbing to do a thorough evaluation before they return.
Wright said the timing could not be better. War Eagle Mill is closed in January and February annually for repairs, planning, replenishing and training.
The mill and nearby War Eagle Bridge, built in 1907, draw tourists, but the mill is operational and helps the business create the products it sells in retail and wholesale markets. The mill also has a restaurant and gift shop. Wright spoke Tuesday from the granary, where the grinding of grain into flour continued.
The mill is powered by an 18-foot cypress waterwheel, just like it was in the 1800s. This adds to the charm of the building but also creates problems when trying to prepare for high water, Wright said.
"When the water goes up 6 feet, we would have to put the building on stilts, and it happens to this degree with great infrequency," she said. "Plus the waterwheel needs to be able to be in a certain amount of water to be able to turn."
Though the mill was closed, the bridge was open to traffic Tuesday.
Jeff Clark, Benton County's public services administrator and head of the county's Road Department, said War Eagle Bridge sustained no readily apparent damage in the weekend flooding.
He said the county is working to schedule an inspection by Great River Engineering, the company hired by the county to work on plans to repair or rehabilitate the historic bridge. The county spent more than $640,000 on repairs in 2010, but inspection reports from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department in 2013 identified several critical deficiencies and structural problems.
The county has reduced the bridge's posted weight limit to 3 tons while it considers what to do with it.
"From what we can see, there are no structural defects visible," Clark said.
Bill and Lucy Sharp were surveying the damage Tuesday afternoon. They own much of the land around the mill.
"I've seen a lot of floods in my 80-plus years, and this one didn't do as much damage as it usually does," Bill Sharp said.
Some of the fences lining the property were tilted because of the force of the current, but it will be a couple of days before they can cross some of the water-soaked areas for a good check, he said.
Terry and Bruce Covey went through their first War Eagle flood. The couple purchased the Blackburn Homestead 3-1/2 years ago. The home sits across the bridge from the mill and was built in 1832 by Sylvanus and Catherine Blackburn, owners of the original mill.
The house sits high above the water of the War Eagle River, but did creep within about 5 feet of the steep bank. They said it has never flooded.
Terry Covey said the river crested around midnight Sunday.
"You see a log hit the bridge and then you hear a big thud," she said from her backyard overlooking the river.
Cars were lined up along the road to witness the flooding firsthand Monday, she said.
"People just love War Eagle," she said.
Information for this article was contributed by Tom Sissom of the NWA Democrat-Gazette.
State Desk on 12/30/2015